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He hit him in the nose area, leaving a cut, and this all happened while the coat was over the victim's head.

The man felt his wallet being removed from his pocket and Gower fled out of the toilets.

A member of staff retrieved the wallet from the floor nearby but £170 was missing.

Gower was recognised by staff from CCTV pictures. He had left the coat behind.

When Gower was arrested, he claimed he had been in a fight and picked up the wallet by accident.

Gower had convictions for 45 previous offences, including being jailed for 18 months in 2008 for wounding involving a bottle attack in the street.

He was also jailed for two-and-a-half years in June 2010 for assault causing actual bodily harm and fraud.

He was jailed for eight years in June 2012 for robbery and attempted robbery and was at the time branded a dangerous offender.

One of the offences involved going into a shop with his hood pulled up, grabbing money from a till, taking staff to the rear of the premises and demanding to be allowed into the safe. He did not succeed.

The next day, he walked into a jewellers with his coat pulled up over his head and demanded £2,000.